Notes
Slide Show
Outline
1
 
2
WOULD RIVAL SPECIES SHARE A NEST?
  • DVOC Ornithological Study
  • Chris Walters, February 2, 2006
  • Based on Article by Robinson, et al. entitled “Interspecific Nest Sharing by Red-breasted Nuthatch and Mountain Chickadee.”

    The Wilson Bulletin 117:400 (2005)
3
    MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE
4
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH
5
CHRONOLOGY OF THE 2004 SHARING OF CAVITY NEST
  • May 31   - 2 adult Chickadees bring food to nest containing young
    Nuthatches and Chickadees
  • June 1    - Adult Chickadee flushed from nest
  • June 7    - Adult female Nuthatch at nest with 2 Nuthatch and 3
    Chickadee chicks
  • June 10  - Female Nuthatch feeding chicks and removing fecal sacs
  • June 11  - With all chicks still in nest, the 2 Nuthatch chicks fledge
  • June 12  - 3 Chickadee chicks still in nest; 2 Nuthatch chicks foraging nearby with the female Nuthatch
  • June 12 (later) Female Nuthatch feeds 3 Chickadee chicks and removes fecal sac
  • June 16 - No chicks at nest; presumed fledged because no evidence of predation


6
HOW RARE IS NEST-SHARING BETWEEN THESE SPECIES?
  • VERY RARE
  • In 10 year study of 691 nests, only one instance (the one reported here) was seen.
7
HOW RARE IS SUCCESSFUL INTER-SPECIFIC NEST SHARING IN ORNITHOLOGICAL LITERATURE?



  • STILL VERY RARE
8
DOCUMENTATION OF SUCCESSFUL INTER-SPECIFIC NEST-SHARING IN ORNITHOLOGICAL LITERATURE
  • Except for nest-sharing between Blue Tits and Great Tits – which is reported regularly – only a few other examples appear documented:
  • A Pied Flycatcher/female Common Redstart in Sweden (1979)
  • Mourning Dove/Yellow-billed Cuckoo
  • European Robin/Willow Warbler
  • European Robin/Pied Wagtail